Silica exposure is the risk of inhaling crystalline silica dust, a hazard common in construction, mining, and manufacturing.
Occurs when workers inhale fine particles of crystalline silica generated by cutting, grinding, drilling, or crushing silica-containing materials like concrete, stone, and sand. Prolonged exposure can cause silicosis, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases. In the U.S., exposure limits and controls are set under OSHA's Respirable Crystalline Silica standard (29 CFR 1926.1153 for construction).
A concrete-cutting crew uses a saw equipped with water suppression and connected to a vacuum dust collection system to reduce airborne silica dust generated during cutting.
OSHA's construction standard sets the PEL at 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift.
Common controls include wet cutting methods, local exhaust ventilation with HEPA filtration, and, when engineering controls aren't sufficient, respiratory protection.
Long-term exposure is associated with silicosis (irreversible lung scarring), increased risk of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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